I’m placing us at Barksdale AFB, getting ready to roll out on February 12th. We had no idea what was in store for us on this lovely Tuesday morning.
Remember last week's valve stem extension issue? Well it happened again but this time on the driver's side. We knew what the problem was and we had seen a Camping World outside the gate. Propane was also low and I like to make sure we have all our ducks in a row before we move onto our next destination. Two birds with one stone at Camping World, right?!?!? No. They couldn't fit us in to do work....wanted us to wait a month. Um, No. We did get the propane filled though. And, of course, on our way out I sprain my ankle AGAIN!!! Luckily I have a brace already since this has happened frequently in the last 5 months.
Next, we went on a scavenger hunt around the base to find some packages I had shipped (our Valentine's day gifts and our 13 year wedding anniversary gift). By then it was lunch time - conveniently we were stopped at the Commissary parking lot and were able to get some delicious sandwiches #poundwinning. Ted found a place to look at the tire, which was a super easy fix. As long as the inner tire is in the right position, air can easily be checked...without any valve stem extension. Boom, extensions removed! Finally we hit the road!
Edgewood Cabins next to DeGrey State Park in Bismarck, AR is a small RV lot with about 6-7 full hook up sites and two cabins. No check in desk or store found here. Only gravel and a small hill - just enough that our leveling jacks were not able to level and we slept a bit slanted with our heads down (great for my freshly sprained ankle). The evening is concluded with a project Azlan and I worked on. The jet pack with wings backpack was a big hit! Cardboard from those elusive packages, 2 metal soup cans, and some heavy duty tape.
February 13th - Good Morning #littlerockarkansas!!! The sun is up and so are we! This trip, we decided to go to the visitor's center and see what information they could give us on the city and state. The Curran Hall Vistor's Center was a lovely historical building from the mid 1800's. Not only was the building beautiful and well-cared for, but the ladies at the desk provided us with a plethora of information and suggested things to do. The hour we spent there was well worth it! Azlan, however, was getting antsy. So we take a
#trolley ride, with a very informative guide, to a super fun park with tunnels, slides, hills etc... We had a blast in this really fast slide, so much so, that I ate it pretty good coming out of the slide. My body is still sore 5 days later!
After we grabbed some pizza, we proceed to walk across the longest pedestrian/bike bridge in North America #bigdambridge. That pretty much wrapped up our day.
Happy Valentine's Day (and 13 year wedding anniversary)!
Creativity is my strong suit and a very important value to me. So, I started off the day making pancake designs for my boys. Ted loved it so much, he even did the dishes for me!!! Originally, we had hoped to rent a boat and cruise DeGrey Lake while enjoying a picnic lunch. The weather had a different plan. It was pretty cold and windy! We still ate outside by the lake and got some good pictures. I was supposed to cook dinner but we got lazy and ordered some Italian and steaks for pick up, and Ted brought it home complete with roses and a balloon!
February 15th - #hotspringsarkansas Day! A little extension of Valentines Day. #quapawspa was a glorious experience for me. Ted watched Azlan while I soaked in the public mineral baths and got a revirealizing Swedish massage (I highly recommend Cinthia for your masseuse)! We ate across the street at BubbaLu’s, amazing food! Best burger Ted has had since Korea...that’s saying a lot since we love burgers and had yet to find one that compared to Awesome Burger in Daegu, Korea.
Post spectacular spa morning, we visit our good friend and have dinner with her and her family. We spent Saturday together as well and caught up on some laundry.
Sunday, February 17 - Adios Arkadelphia and Bonjour Petit Jean State Park! Originally we had planned on Diamond Mining Sunday, leaving Arkadelphia on Monday and going straight to Mulberry. But the lady at Curran Hall had been adamant that Petit Jean State Park was not be missed. Boasting waterfalls, hikes and a lake, we opted for the park instead of digging in the dirt for hours with no guarantee of finding any precious stones, much less a big ass diamond!
We get to select our site at the park - a first for us - so we pick the best view and then forget to take a picture of it. That’s ok though because this place is now on our “Must Return One Day” list. #petitjeanstatepark truly has a LOT to offer and it’s beautiful and inspiring. We started off with the Cedar Creek Falls Hike that we found at the park’s visitor’s center and on #alltrails. If you know me, you know I love adventure and thrills so when the sign says “strenuous hike” and I have a sprained ankle in a brace...my answer is “Hell Yeah”! I went into Hyper-focus mode and we nailed the 2.2 mile hike like a boss! The dinner and sunset grand finale at Mather Lodge tied up the day perfectly!
Monday, February 18th - I wake up with ants in my pants as usual: Standard Bubbly Daisa. Our plan was to do the CCC Hike/Bike Trail but Ted had an un-repairable flat so we go to the Rock House Cave to see pictographs from over 1000 years ago (we found but one), a phenomenal view from Petit Jean’s Grave, and to Cedar Falls Overlook for a different perspective on the Falls. So much to explore here! I even started taking pictures of just textures that appealed to me...I see more crafty projects in my future!
The Automobile Museum just outside the park was our last stop before heading North. From 1904 up to 1981 this place had impeccably kept cars that would make even the lesser auto-conosours swoon! Had to pick up my pretty chin from the floor!
Next stop Mulberry, AR!
Catch you next week.
Love,
Daisa, Ted and Azlan